Benton County has been declared a disaster area, and they’re hoping to get state funds to help make the repairs.

One of the hardest hit areas was Snavely Road in Benton County, where the floodwaters shifted huge sections of asphalt and destroyed the area near Snavely Bridge.

Jack Brown, superintendent of the Benton County Roads Department, estimated that one of the larger sections of asphalt weighed about 18 tons, and it was moved roughly 20 feet.

That’s 36,000 pounds of asphalt moving only with the help of Mother Nature.

“After the water went down, we got calls that the road had totally washed away at the Snavely Bridge,” We sent crews out here, and they called us and said it’s very bad,” Brown said.

“Based on what we can see, I’d say the water was at least five feet deep where we’re standing,” Benton County Emergency Management Director Robert McGowen said. “This is the worst area we’ve documented so far in the county.”

Because of the extensive damage, crews put up barricades on either side of Snavely Bridge so no one would try to cross it.

“The road department will have it back open as soon as possible, but for safety reasons we have to close it until we can get equipment and material in here to get it fixed,” McGowen said.

“Monday morning we’ll be out here with trucks, dozers, graters, whatever we need to do to get this road reopened up. It’s a 10-foot drop on the side of it that’s very dangerous, and that’s why we made the decision to close it,” Brown said.

According to Brown, the bridge was just replaced two years ago because of flood damage.

The bridge survived, but the roads leading up to it are now scattered all over the place.